Every thought that I repent,
There's another chip you haven't spent,
And you're cashing them all in,
Where do we begin. To get clean again,
Can we get clean again.
I walk home alone with you,
And the mood you're born into,
Sometimes you let me in,
And I take it on the chin.
I can't get clean again.
I want to know, Can we get clean again,
The God of Wine comes
crashing through the headlights of a car
that took you farther than
you thought you'd ever want to go,
We can't get back again,
We can't get back again,
She takes a drink and then she waits,
The alcohol it permeates,
And soon the cells give way,
And cancels out the day.
I can't keep it all together,
I know...I can't keep it all together.
And the siren's song that is your madness,
Holds a truth I can't erase,
All alone on your face.
Every glamorous sunrise,
Throws the planets out of line,
A star sign out of whack,
A fraudulent zodiac.
And the God of Wine
is crouched down in my room,
You let me down, I said it,
Now I'm going down,
And you're not even around.
And I said no...
I can't keep it all together,
I know...I can't keep it all together,
And there's a memory of a window,
Looking through I see you.
Searching for something,
I could never give you,
And there's someone who
understands you more than I do.
A sadness I can't erase.
All alone on your face.

96 Comments

General CommentHalo, very good and brief...But I think you can apply it to and relationship where the other person is bent on destroying themself...The hopelessness and how eventually you have to give up so you don't get messed up yourself...

General CommentThe "memory of a window" part is my favorite lines from any song ever, I love this song. It is my all time favorite 3eb song. They are the greatest band of all time. This song is very sad, it makes me cry almost everytime I hear it. I understand how hard it can be to leave someone you love, even if you know staying could be the end for you too. This song is a real representation of how love can kick you in the ass, and even though you know its hurting you its too hard to let go. Stephan really says it all with the "a sadness I cant erase, all alone on your face" statement.This is such a wonderful song.

General CommentIf you have ever loved an addict (specifically an alcoholic) then you know exactly what this song is about. It's amazing how well SJ captures emotion in his lyrics. Those last 4 lines are probably the most heartbreaking lyrics I've ever heard.

exactly this.
i think it's easy to say it's about something else if you've never lived with and/or loved an alcoholic, because if you have it jumps out at you and grabs you by the soul and every memory jumps out at you, I don't know if there's any other way to look at this song if you have an alcoholic in your life.
i just couldn't agree more.

@carpathia I agree with your take. And the last 4 lines are POWERFUL and TOUCHING. I love 3eb and don't care much for Pearl Jam, but I would throw out a challenge to you to consider Pearl Jam's "Black" for the most heartbreaking lyrics. Of course, every song touches different people in different ways, and on different topics. Considering "Black" in its entirety doesn't drop below a 10 in intensity, before jumping to a 15 culminating with the following at the end:

Yeah
I know someday you'll have a beautiful life
I know you'll be a star
In somebody else's sky
But why
Why
Why can't it be
Why can't it be mine

Every glamorous sunrise
Throws the planets out of line
A star sign out of whack
A fraudulent zodiac
And the god of wine is crouched down in my room
You let me down, I said it
Now I'm going down
You're not even around
And i said no no no no no no nooo

General CommentI love the guitar parts in this song. They're so amazing; too bad Kevin Cadogan isn't in the band anymore. But who can't relate to the lines:
"And there's a memory of a window
Looking through, I see you
Searching for something that I could never give you
And there's someone who understands you, more than I do
A sadness I can't erase
All alone on your face."
Those lines perfectly describe loving someone so much, yet they make you feel so totally inadequate. They've always got their attention turned to something else; it doesn't necessarily have to be alcohol, but something else is always more important to them than you. God, Stephan Jenkins is GOOD!

General CommentThis song shows how as hard as you try, the hits keep coming (and not alcoholic hits), and you know you're done for, and you're down and out, but you can't give it up and it's so hard to let go.

General CommentAnd the siren's song that is your madness
Holds a truth I can't erase
All alone on your face...that is the best line. That line basically sums up my last relationship. He was so bent on destroying himself. Not through drugs, but he was destroying himself. He was a endless sea of doubt. It was horrible. Finally everything broke down, and he realized everything that was wrong. I tried so hard for so long to be there for him and to fix things, but it completely drained me. It was horrible. So I guess I can also relate to the line, "can we get clean again?" However our relationship ended with the line, "That took you farther than you thought
You'd ever wanna go
We can't get back again
We can't get back again." Stephen writes beautiful lyrics...

This is probably the prettiest song I've ever encountered, also holds the most meaning to me. I can't write enough about this song, because it is so deep. Read Bacchus, by Euripedes.. Bacchus being the GOD OF WINE.